Exercise apparel

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a new and improved article of apparel that may include an apparatus for convenient exercise equipment available throughout the day at the location the potential user might be amenable to exercising. The article of apparel may include a first fabric panel, a second fabric panel, a void formed from the two panels, an elastic band, and a first and second closable access slit. The elastic band may have a first bulbous portion and a second bulbous portion. The first and the second closable access slits may be aligned with the elastic band, such that the first bulbous portion may be extended through the first closable access slit while the second bulbous portion may be extended through the second closable access slit, while the elastic band remains partially in the void.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This invention is generally related to exercise apparel, and moreparticularly, exercise apparel with imbedded elastic exercise ropes.

2. Background

Regular exercise provides health benefits. After an injury, exercisingwith resistance equipment may lead to a quicker recovery. Exercisingthroughout the day may provide increased benefits. However, exercisingcan be inconvenient. One aspect that leads to inconvenience as thatexercise equipment is often not available throughout the day at thelocation the potential user might be amenable to exercising.

The need for convenient exercise equipment has led others to propose avariety of solutions such as: the Exercising Apparatus, by Raabe,described in U.S. Pat. No. 650,656; the Body Exerciser, by Davidson,described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,618,273; the Exercisor, by Marshman,described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,097,376; the Article of Wear for a ApplyingStress on the Wearer, by Gatts, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,500;the One Piece Elastic Body Suit, by Fox, described in U.S. Pat. No.4,065,814; the Exercise Suit, by Malloy, described in U.S. Pat. No.4,910,802; the Exercise Suit with Resilient Reinforcing, by Dicker,described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,546; all of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

The solutions previously described do not provide an optimal solutionfor providing convenient exercise equipment available throughout the dayat the location the potential user might be amenable to exercising. Forexample, prior solutions suffered from the following suboptimalfeatures: the user was required to wear excess equipment or clothing;the apparel could not be comfortably worn throughout the day; theequipment was readily observable when worn; and the equipment andapparel were impractical to wear throughout the day.

What is needed is a practical apparatus for convenient exerciseequipment available throughout the day at the location the potentialuser might be amenable to exercising.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is a new and improved exercise apparel apparatus. Theexercise apparel may include a first fabric panel, a second fabricpanel, a void formed from the two panels, an elastic band, and a firstand second closable access slit. The second fabric panel may be joinedto the first fabric panel to form the void between the first fabricpanel and the second fabric panel. The void may have a first opening ata first end and a second opening at a second end. The elastic band mayhave a first bulbous portion and a second bulbous portion. The elasticband may be at least partially in the void and the first bulbous portionmay be outside of the void near the first end of the void, and thesecond bulbous portion may be outside the void near the second end ofthe void. The first and the second closable access slits may be alignedwith the elastic band, such that the first bulbous portion may beextended through the first closable access slit while the second bulbousportion may be extended through the second closable access slit, whilethe elastic band remains partially in the void.

Other systems, methods, aspects, features, embodiments and advantages ofthe system and method for fabricating illuminated panels disclosedherein will be, or will become, apparent to one having ordinary skill inthe art upon examination of the following drawings and detaileddescription. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods,aspects, features, embodiments and advantages be included within thisdescription, and be within the scope of the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is to be understood that the drawings are solely for purpose ofillustration. Furthermore, the components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the system disclosed herein. In the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation view of man wearing a shirt and pants thatinclude an exercise apparel system that includes an elastic band.

FIG. 2 is an interior elevation view of the back of the shirt of FIG. 1showing the elastic band in a retracted state.

FIG. 3 is an interior elevation view of the back of the shirt of FIG. 1showing the elastic band in an extended state.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the man of FIG. 1 showing the elastic bandin an extended state and grasped by the man.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description, which references to and incorporatesthe drawings, describes and illustrates one or more specificembodiments. These embodiments, offered not to limit but only toexemplify and teach, are shown and described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice what is claimed. Thus, forthe sake of brevity, the description may omit certain information knownto those of skill in the art.

FIG. 1 shows a man 100 wearing a shirt 102, pants 104, and shoes 106.The shirt 102 and pants 104 include exemplary exercise apparel systems108 a and 108 b. The shirt 102 includes a front 102 a and a back 102 b(shown in FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 shows an expanded view of the interior surface 201 of the back102 b of shirt. 102. The back 102 b may be a fabric panel that may bemade of any of the many known materials that shirts are made from. Inone embodiment, the fabric panel is a moisture wicking fabric as knownin the art to be used with athletic apparel. Attached to the back 102 bmay be a securing fabric panel 202. The securing fabric panel 202 may bejoined to the back 102 b to form a void 204 between the back 102 b andthe securing fabric panel 202. The void 204 may include a first endopening 204 a and a second end opening 204 b. Passing through the void204 may be an elastic band 206. The elastic band 206 may have a firstbulbous portion 206 a near a first end 206 b, and a second bulbousportion 206 c near a second end 206 d. The bulbous portions 206 a and206 c, and the ends 206 b and 206 d, may extend outside of the void 204through the first end opening 204 a and the second end opening 204 b.

Also shown in FIG. 2 is a first closable access slit 208 and a secondclosable access slit 210. The first and second closable access slits 208and 210 may include, for example, a zipper, or a hook and loop typesecuring system. The first and second closable access slits 208 and 210may be concealed by shirt flaps 120 (see FIG. 1). The first and secondclosable access slits 208 and 210 may be aligned with the elastic band206 and the void 204 such that, if extended in an approximately straightline, the bulbous portion 206 a may be extended through the firstclosable access slit 208 and the bulbous portion 206 c may be extendedthrough the second closable access slit 210.

FIG. 3 shows the exemplary exercise apparel system 108 a where the ends206 b and 206 d of the elastic hand 206 are extended outside of thefirst and second closable access slits 208 and 210.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the bulbous portion, for example 206 c, of theelastic band 206 may be extended through the closable access points, forexample second closable access point 210, while the elastic band 206remains partially in the void 204 and the closable access points, forexample closable access point 210, are aligned with the elastic band206.

Exemplary exercise apparel system 108 b operates on the same principalsas exercise apparel system 108 a, however, the system may be located inpants 104, for example near the belt area, and closable access slits 130a and 130 b may be located on the sides of the pants 104.

By further illustration, the exercise apparel apparatus may include, afirst fabric panel, such as back 102 b of shirt 102, a second fabricpanel, such as securing fabric panel 202, joined to the first fabricpanel to form a void, such as void 204, between the first fabric paneland the second fabric panel. The exercise apparel apparatus may furtherinclude a first opening at a first end of the void, such as first endopening 204 a, and a second opening at the second end of the void, suchas second end opening 204 b. The exercise apparel apparatus may furtherinclude an elastic band, such as elastic band 206, having a firstbulbous portion and a second bulbous portion, such as first bulbousportion 206 a and second bulbous portion 206 c, where the elastic bandis at least partially in the void, such as void 204, and the firstbulbous portion is outside of the void near the first end of the void,and the second bulbous portion is outside the void near the second endof the void. And the exercise apparel apparatus may further include afirst and a second closable access slit, such as first and secondclosable access slits 208 and 210, aligned with the elastic band,wherein the first bulbous portion may be extended through the firstclosable access slit while the second bulbous portion may be extendedthrough the second closable access slit, while the elastic band remainspartially in the void.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or variant described hereinas “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments or variants. All of the embodimentsand variants described in this description are exemplary embodiments andvariants provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make and usethe invention, and not necessarily to limit the scope of legalprotection afforded the appended claims.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use that which is defined bythe appended claims. The following claims are not intended to be limitedto the disclosed embodiments. Other embodiments and modifications willreadily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theseteachings. Therefore, the following claims are intended to cover allsuch embodiments and modifications when viewed in conjunction with theabove specification and accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is:
 1. An article of apparel that comprises: a firstfabric panel; a second fabric panel joined to the first fabric panel toform a void between the first fabric panel and the second fabric panel;a first opening at a first end of the void and a second opening at thesecond end of the void; an elastic band having a first bulbous portionand a second bulbous portion, the elastic band at least partially in thevoid and the first bulbous portion being outside of the void near thefirst end of the void, and the second bulbous portion being outside thevoid near the second end of the void; and a first and a second closableaccess slit aligned with the elastic band, wherein the first bulbousportion may be extended through the first closable access slit while thesecond bulbous portion may be extended through the second closableaccess slit, while the elastic band remains partially in the void. 2.The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the first fabric panel is aportion of a shirt.
 3. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein thefirst fabric panel is a portion of pants.
 4. The article of apparel ofclaim 1, wherein the second fabric panel is secured to the interiorsurface of the first fabric panel.
 5. The article of apparel of claim 1,wherein the second fabric panel is secured to the interior surface ofthe first fabric panel, and the first fabric panel is a portion of ashirt.
 6. The article of apparel of claim 1, further including a flap,wherein the flap conceals the first closable access slit.
 7. The articleof apparel of claim 1, wherein the first closable access slit includes azipper.
 8. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the first closableaccess slit includes a hook and loop system.